From the Inside Flap
Students who do not complete college face limited prospects in today's increasingly complex workplace. Yet, only about one quarter of the nation's high school graduates go on to complete a four-year degree. In response to this pressing issue, schools and businesses have started to collaborate in offering job preparation and training programs at the high school level. This book, based on a nationwide study of sixteen programs in twelve states, looks at a wide array of the most promising school-to-work efforts and offers practical insights for both educators and employers on how to make these programs more effective.Through first-hand stories and examples, the authors show how educators overcame adversity and an array of challenges to successfully implement a range of programsfrom career academies and vocational education to skill-based training and apprenticeships. They offer specific advice on what employers and educators did to make their programs work. They reveal, for instance, how a program was effectively changed to serve both low-achieving and higher-achieving students. They detail how programs overcame skepticism and were successfully advertised to students and parents. And they tell how programs reached out to employers to convince them to provide work-based learning experiences for students.Homegrown Lessons offers the invaluable experiences of pioneering school-to-work programs for all those--educators, employers, state and federal agencies--who will be planning and implementing future generations of these programs as they work to improve the prospects and opportunities for today's youth.
From the Back Cover
"An important work for policy makers and practitioners. This rich portrayal of sixteen pioneering school-to-work programs holds up a mirror to the most significant slate of federal education legislation to pass Congress in thirty years. We encourage readers to use these homegrown lessons to create dynamic learning environments, to engage large numbers of employers in job preparation, and to set a course for all students to achieve the academic and occupational capacities for productive and satisfying employment."--Gordon M. Ambach, executive director, Council for Chief State School Officers"An excellent tool for practitioners interested in creating effective programs that prepare high school students for the world of work. The book offers explicit lessons from a variety of programs on planning and implementation, strategies for growth and survival, instructional methods, and marketing programs to students."--Ramon C. Cortines, executive director, Council for Chief State School OfficersStudents who do not complete college face limited prospects in today's increasingly complex workplace. Yet, only about one quarter of the nation's high school graduates go on to complete a four-year degree. In response to this pressing issue, schools and businesses have started to collaborate in offering job preparation and training programs at the high school level. This book, based on a nationwide study of sixteen programs in twelve states, looks at a wide array of the most promising school-to-work efforts and offers practical insights for both educators and employers on how to make these programs more effective.
